Historic, archived document
Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices
if 4^
IMPROVED METHODS of
IISPLAYING and HANDLING PRODUCE
Retail Food Stores
u. s. dept. or wiwmwii
NATIONAL AGRiClilTOML UHWI?
JUL / " ibod
JWREKI SEHiAI BESOMS
earch Report No. 551
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Research Service
Transportation and Facilities Research Division
)DS OF DISPLAYING AND HANDLING PRODUCE
IN RETAIL FOOD STORES >
I
Dale Anderson, P. Shaffer, and M. Volz
I
( O
Agricultural Research Service
Transportation and Facilities Research Division
Washington, D. C. July 1962
Slightly revise. May 1966
PREFACE
This report is the f^ifth in a group about handling produce in retail food
stores. The study on which it is based is part of a larger marketing research
project designed to increase the operating efficiency of retail food stores so
as to cut costs of marketing farm products. The work is being conducted under
the general supervision of R. W. Hoecker, chief, Wholesaling and Retailing Re-
search Branch, Transportation and Facilities Research Division, Agricultural
Marketing Service.
Produce is one of the highest operating-cost departments in retail food
stores and requires a disproportionate share, in relation to dollar sales, of
the estimated 4-billion-dollar labor bill for food stores in 1960.
The methods and procedures described in this study, when adopted, will
materially help to increase productivity of labor and acceptability of farm
produce at retail. This type of cost-saving marketing research, coupled with
production research, has helped to keep the consumer's food costs from rising
as rapidly as have the costs for other goods and services. Retail farm food
prices have risen only 13 percent since 1947-49, while nonfood prices during
the same period have risen 31 percent. The American consumer in 1947-49 spent
approximately 25 percent of his take-home pay for food; in 1961 his bill was
less than 20 percent of his take-home pay.
Subjects covered in previous reports include receiving and storage, trim-
ming, packaging, and sales area layout, and customer service. An additional
publication on layouts of produce departments is planned. Improved produce
department operations, based on Agricultural Marketing Service research, have
been installed in at least 300 supermarkets. The resulting savings reported
for a number of these stores average annually at least $5,000 per store, which
would amount to a total annual savings of over $1.5 million if equal results
were achieved in all 300 stores.
Many retail operating and executive personnel assisted in the project and
approximately two dozen retail firms participated in various phases of the
project. Many State Department of Agriculture and Extension Service workers
assisted in the research.
Effective July 1, 196^-, the resoonsibility for research on increasing
the efficiency of food distribution was transferred from the Agricultural
Marketing Service to the Agricultural Research Service,
- 3
CONTENTS
Page
Summary. „ • 5
Background and purposes of the s tudy , 7
Functions performed in displaying produce 7
Transferring new merchandise to display counters 9
Use of hands in displaying o . . . 9
Types of displays • o 10
Price-marking on the sales floor o 13
Rotation of produce displays 13
Handling shipping containers 17
Miscellaneous tasks performed on the selling floor „ 17
Takedown » . » . . • 20
The materials -handling task in produce display work 20
Selecting merchandise and loading for display 21
Transporting merchandise to the display 21
Work planning by the produce department manager and personnel 23
Planning counter arrangement 0 23
Organizing produce display work to reduce travel 24
Equalizing the display workload 28
General principles for display work 28
Display cases 30
The preparation of display counter bases 30
Multideck displays 34
Rear-service display cases 34
Unit handling 36
Tray display 36
Restocking the display case 36
Counter setup „ 39
Takedown 39
Preparation of trays c . . « 39
Advantages of tray display 40
Rolling or mobile displays „ 42
Portable display bin 42
Watermelon racks 44
Mobile multishelf displays e 45
Effect of use of tray display and rolling display bins 0 46
Literature cited P 48
Appendix 0 • 49
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SUMMARY
The objective of this study was to evaluate conventional display procedures
and to develop and test improved equipment, display methods, workplace arrange-
ment, and work organization. Detailed studies were made in retail stores of
12 large food chains and voluntary food store organizations. Numerous other
studies were made in various other stores throughout the United States. An
analysis of all produce labor in four retail food stores indicated about one-
third of this time was spent on display work in bulk produce stores and about
one-fourth in prepack stores.
Demonstrating in two supermarkets the improved methods of produce display
outlined below resulted in 23 and 28 percent savings in labor. These savings
amounted to 26 and 30 hours per 1,000 cases of produce handled. When the tray
display method was used together with rolling bins for potatoes and onions, an
additional 8 to 19 hours per 1,000 cases was saved. Additional benefits were
noted in increased rotation of product and better maintenance of displays.
The following general rules for good produce display work incorporate most
of the improvements developed:
1. Plan the work ahead.
2. Do as much work as possible in the backroom.
3. Take a large load to the counters and plan an efficient work cycle.
4. Carry necessary tools and supplies.
5. Park the cart close to the display.
6. Position the box of produce close to the body of the handler.
7. Use both hands, moving together, to transfer merchandise.
8. Use dump or loose displays where possible. Avoid bruising damage.
9. Place the whole container with its contents on display where possible.
10. Keep merchandise on displays at reasonable heights.
11. Follow an orderly path at the counter.
12. Use containers that nest and stack.
13. Get rid of garbage, trash, and salvage as they accumulate.
Improved methods of selecting and hauling merchandise to the selling area
.ncreased the average number of cases hauled each time from about two and one-
half to four and saved 1/3 to 1/8 minute per case.
The following rules to reduce rehandling of produce were developed.
1. Relate display size to expected sales and conditions of produce.
2. Avoid display fixtures with deep recesses.
3. Rotate when needed and only then.
4. Keep displays separate when different lots of a given product vary in
quality, size, or condition.
5. Keep quantity of produce low early in the week.
6. Allow display depth to diminish considerably before replenishing.
7. Use counter liners where possible.
Factors which were found to be of greatest help in equalizing the display
workload were:
5 -
1. Rotate and load counters before expected sales peak periods.
2. Accomplish as much work as possible before the expected sales peak
period, such as premarking citrus, packaging, pricing, and trimming.
3. Prepare ahead of time the loads of merchandise which will be needed in
the produce department.
4. Place the items on the dry counters in the evening, so that wet and
perishable items can be handled exclusively in the early morning.
5. Work during the slack periods on bulky items which tend to create con-
gestion on the floor.
6. Provide written work assignments for help, especially for slack periods
and evenings .
Improved counter base designs were developed to reduce the labor required
to service the case while maintaining full displays.
A tray system for displaying produce was developed and tested. With this
system, produce is prepared on trays in the backrooms and the entire tray in-
serted into the display counter. This system proved particularly effective for
counter setup and takedown and improved the rotation of produce items. When
produce rotation was unchanged, tray display saved from 1 to 3 1/3 minutes per
case, depending on the item.
Advantages of tray display are:
1. Reduced handling of the product.
2. Better rotation.
3. Less congestion on the selling floor.
4. Neater sales area.
5. Flexibility of display location.
6. Better display planning.
7. Labor saving by fixed workplaces.
8. Equalized workload through advance preparation of displays.
9. Full displays maintained by clerks.
Rolling display bins, when properly constructed, were an effective display
system for many produce items. The use of rolling display bins saved over half
of the total handling time previously used for bagged potatoes. Proper construe'
tion of rolling bins involves:
1. A size small enough so they may be used exclusively for one item.
2. Nylon or hard rubber casters adequate to move a full load.
3. Swivel casters on front or back only.
4. Adjustable dummies in the bin to allow flexibility; preferably attached
to the bin so they cannot be removed.
5. A shelf at the top of the bin which can be used for small items when
displays are lower than the top.
6. The leading edges of the bins should be cut back enough to allow cus-
tomers a full view of the product.
6 -
IMPROVED METHODS OF DISPLAYING AND HANDLING PRODUCE IN RETAIL FOOD STORES
By Dale L. Anderson and Paul F. Shaffer,
agricultural marketing specialists, and
Marvin D. Volz, industrial engineer,
Wholesaling and Retailing Research Branch,
Transportation and Facilities Research Division,
Agricultural Marketing Service
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSES OF THE STUDY
Retail produce departments usually account for 8 to 12 percent of retail
food store sales. The labor-cost percentage in this department is one of the
highest in the store. Much of this labor, in a bulk produce department, is used
in displaying the produce and in materials -handling directly related to display
work. Attractive produce displays add to the overall appearance of the store
and create greater acceptability of the merchandise by the consumer.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate and develop improved produce
display procedures. Detailed studies were made in several stores of 12 large
corporate and voluntary retail food organizations. Numerous studies were con-
ducted in other stores throughout the United States, and improved methods, pro-
cedures, and equipment were developed for handling produce in the backroom and
display area. These improved procedures were installed in a number of stores,
and detailed records were kept of production and yields. Comparisons were then
made with conventional operations by means of time-study procedures.
FUNCTIONS PERFORMED IN DISPLAYING PRODUCE
In the conventional produce department, especially in an older or smaller
store, most of the display work is done on the selling floor. The clerk brings
several boxes of merchandise to the produce department, opens the boxes, sorts,
trims, packages, and price-marks the produce; transfers it to the counter; and
arranges it on the counter into a pleasing display. In this type of department,
produce is often arranged in "pyramid" fashion, with each individual piece of
produce being placed upon the display to form a neat geometric pattern. In such
a department, practically all of the labor is performed on the floor in full
view of the customer. Merchandise to be returned to the backroom, empty con-
tainers, trash, and other materials create considerable congestion and, in some
cases, dangerous conditions.
In larger produce departments, a number of these functions are transferred
to the produce backrooms. In the departments discussed in this publication,
most of the trimming and practically all of the packaging were done in the back-
room. The functions performed on the floor consisted of displaying the new
merchandise; rotating the displays, pricing some items; building special displays;
- 7 -
opening, collapsing, and disposing of crates and boxes; fixing price signs or
decorations; and cleaning the area.
Clerks and equipment tended to block customers' access to the displays and
interfered with the flow of people between the counters, especially during peak
sales periods.
In recent years, an increasing amount of prepackaged produce has been
offered for sale in produce departments. Many produce items are prepackaged
before they reach the retail store. Handling this type of merchandise is very
similar to handling many bulk-produce items; boxes of packaged merchandise are
brought to the selling floor, often priced individually, and then placed on the
counter. In other stores, produce items are packaged in the store. These items
are usually packaged or bagged and priced in the produce backroom area and
brought to the display floor in a reusable tub or other container. The term
"display," when used as a verb in this report, means transferring the merchan-
dise to the counter. Usually, displaying involves individual pieces of produce,
in contrast to other handling, which involves an entire container.
The amount of time spent in various functions for two bulk-produce depart-
ments and two prepackaged-produce departments is shown in table 1. The bulk-
produce departments shown here had as much as 25 percent of the produce packaged
in some form, while the prepackaged-produce departments sold some items in bulk
form where unit pricing was possible . Produce department operations, including
assembly, travel, display, rehandling, and policing, took about one-third of
the total produce labor in the bulk stores, and about one-fourth in prepack
stores. Rehandling includes taking any product off the display whether returned
directly to the display as in rotation, or taken to the backroom for recondition-
ing or nighttime storage. Policing is straightening and rearranging the produce
Table 1. --Breakdown of time by functions for two bulk produce and two prepack
produce departments in retail food stores
: Bulk departments : Prepack departments
Functlon : Store A : Store B ~: Store C : Store D
: Percent Percent Percent Percent
Receiving : 2.9 4.2 4.2 2.4
Trimming, o : 12.0 10.9 10.0 6.2
Packaging : 10.9 8.5 31.5 30.2
Pricing : 4.8 7.7 13.6 16.3
Assembly and travel : 2.7 5.0 9.4 5.4
Displaying 0..0 : 16.7 20.2 7.6 7.1
Rehandling : 8.9 6.0 4.9 3.7
Policing o : 4.2 2.4 5.7 6.4
Customer service „ : 7.7 13.2 .3 1.2
Personal : 5.3 5.3 5.5 8.2
Unavoidable delay 1/ : 11.0 1.5 .9 2.9
Miscellaneous 2/ : 12.9 15.1 6^4 10.0
Subtotal, all display functions : 32.5 33.6 27.6 22.6
Total : 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
1/ Primarily due to lack of work at customer service scales. Includes some
personal and break time.
2/ Includes assembly, travel, display, rehandling, and policing.
- 8 -
The greatest time losses in display work were caused by the use of poorly
designed display cases, the absence of good materials -handling practices, and
poor work methods. Store personnel often used scrap materials or packaging
supplies to build "dummies" to improve the appearance of the display case, and
much time was lost in building and maintaining these displays. Improper
materials -handling methods also were found. Shopping carts and equipment from
other departments were frequently used in transporting merchandise to the prod-
uce department selling area. Loads hauled were often small, requiring many
trips to the backroom and coolers. Backrooms were often poorly designed or too
far from the produce department selling area and caused extra travel. These
improper work methods and the lack of adequate supervision resulted in the in-
efficient use of labor and materials, and caused the store personnel to work
unnecessarily hard to accomplish their tasks.
Transferring New Merchandise to Display Counters
Transferring new merchandise to display counters has been a laborious hand
operation. Some of the steps involved are inspection by sight or feel; grading
by size or quality; separating the merchandise from the T acking material; minor
trimming work; unit pricing by various means; manual transportation of the
merchandise, positioning or building of units into displays; and often decorat-
ing or building bases for the display case. When the varied handling operations
are considered, together with the numerous possibilities for display arrange-
ments, it becomes impractical to attempt to define one best display method for
each item. Comparisons, however, were made of the relative productivity of the
most common hand methods used to place merchandise on the counters. Time
studies and observations of these methods form the basis for general principles
for counter-stocking work.
Use of Hands in Displaying
Many clerks normally display produce by passing it from hand to hand. The
use of both hands, each grasping and transporting merchandise from container to
counter, is 25 percent more productive than passing merchandise from hand to
hand, when one item per hand is handled (table 2). Where two, three, or even
four pieces may be grasped by each hand and placed on the display, the use of
both hands is even more productive, since it is difficult to transfer several
pieces from one hand to another. Where each piece is positioned in a specific
location on the counter, two hands working together, one piece in each hand,
are most efficient. This permits the eyes to move with the hands and it im-
proves the operator's ability to grasp the items properly and position them for
maximum eye appeal. The two-handed method is particularly effective for trayed
or bag produce under 5 pounds in weight per unit.
Two factors affect the time for hand methods of displaying produce—dis-
tance from the container to the display surface and use of both hands. There
was a tendency for many produce clerks to park the stocking cart in the aisle
and stand between the cart and the counter. Merchandise would then be passed
hand-to-hand to the counter.
Clerks were taught: (1) To use both hands, moving together, holding one
or two pieces of merchandise in each hand; (2) to park the produce handtruck as
close as possible to the counter; and (3) to move the box being unloaded to a
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proper working height on the end of the handtruck before beginning to fill the
display.
The savings in time to place the merchandise on the counter using the im-
proved methods ranged from 14 to 74 percent for various produce items (table 3)
Table 2 . --Comparison in time per piece of various hand display methods for
produce
Commodity
: Hand-to-hand
: pass
2 hands -
1 each hand
2 hands -
2 each hand
Double handfuls
Corn
: Minutes
: .021
: .024
: .024
: .022
: .026
Minutes
.015
.018
.019
.022
Minutes
.013
.018
.018
Minutes
Bag carrots . . .
Radishes
Let tuce .......
1/ .017
1/ .016
Escarole
;
1/ Applies only where placing is not required.
Table 3. --Display time per case for selected produce items, before and after
training in improved display methods 1/
Item . Conventional
: Minutes
Peppers-bushel : 3.10
Cucumbers -bushel : 1.62
Carton tomatoes-box : 1.57
String beans -hamper : 4.67
Apples with wraps -box. ... : 5.06
Cherries-box : .98
Plums -box o..: 2.25
Grapes-box : 2.37
Loose apples-field box...: 2.02
Bag carrots (48) paste- :
board box : 1.15
Celery (30) -crate : .81
Corn-crate : 1 . 26
Lettuce (iceberg) paste- :
board box : .53
1/ Methods used varied in each case
most of the methods were those for which
Improved
Savings
Minutes
2.10
.94
.73
1.22
4.26
.58
.99
1.08
1.41
.86
.60
.90
.46
Minutes
1.00
.68
.84
3.45
.80
.40
1.26
1.29
.61
.29
.21
.36
07
Percent
32
42
54
74
16
41
56
54
30
25
26
29
13
However, in the improved operation,
the operator was trained.
Types of Displays
Pyramiding displays, or individually placing each item on the counter,
creates one of the highest labor costs in a produce department. The compara-
tive times to build three types of displays is shown in table 4. In the first
method, all the produce is individually placed in pyramids. In the second
method, three rows of merchandise are pyramided at the front of the display,
and the rest of the merchandise is placed to the rear of the counter, giving
- 10 -
a loose jumbled appearance. The third method results in a completely jumbled
display. All merchandise is loosely placed on the counter. The times given
in table 4 include placing merchandise on the counter, straightening the dis-
plays, and all rotating and policing of the displays.
Table 4. --Time per crate to display, and to police and rotate counter for size
88 oranges by three methods
Method
Per crate
Per 100 crates
Savings
Pyramid by hand .
Loose by hand 1/
Dump display. . . .
Minutes
5.13
3.69
.49
Minutes
514
370
50
Minutes
144
464
1/ Pyramids for 3 front rows of merchandise.
"Dumping" as used in this report, means gently spreading the merchandise,
without dropping it, from the tilted container to the counter. This is the
preferred method for many different types of items, provided merchandise is
firm and in uniformly good condition, and that the display space is wider than
the container opening. Do not dump items which may receive damaging bruises.
In determining what items may be dumped, the season and condition are often
more important than the item. The worker must be physically capable of main-
taining control of the container while it is being lifted over the edge of the
counter and the contents released. The container should be lowered carefully
over the display space, and one hand should control the rate of flow and the
dispersion of the merchandise over the area of the display. When dumping items
that roll easily, such as apples and citrus fruit, onto a counter that has a
shallow front retaining edge, it may be preferable to pyramid the front two or
three rows. When the display is piled too high, dumping is impractical for
items that will roll. Attempting to pile displays to great heights results in
spilled merchandise and unstable displays. Also, the bruising suffered by
pieces that fall to the floor adds to shrinkage. The elapsed time to load mer-
chandise on the counter in a jumbled display using dump and hand methods is shown
in table 5. Dumping took one-third to one-half as much time as hand displaying.
While jumbled displays could not be piled as high as pyramid displays, the
time to refill them was so much less that fuller displays could be maintained
throughout the selling period. Thus jumbled displays were the more effective
for merchandising, as well as providing a lower labor cost.
A significant factor in cost of labor for displaying is the height of the
display. When displays are built above a certain height, the time required to
fill and maintain them mounts rapidly. Figure 1 shows the effect of heights
of display on the time required to build and maintain these displays by hand
and dump methods. Display time for the first six boxes added to the display
counter is about the same, but the time rises rapidly for the seventh and
eighth boxes, due partly to the hand stacking necessary to keep the merchan-
dise on the counter. Since displays are usually replenished before they are
completely empty, we can assume that this display would be refilled when half
full. The operator who refilled this display to the eighth case level each
time would spend nearly twice as much time to hand-fill and four times as much
to dump-fill this display as the operator who filled it to the six-box level.
11 -
Table 5. --Comparison of time to display one box of certain produce items by
hand transfer and by dumping
Method 1/
: Size 100
: oranges
Size 126
oranges
Size 150
lemons
Bulk
apples
Dump on counter
: Minutes
. : .17
Minutes
.26
.33
Minutes
: .13
.47
Minutes
.17
Straighten display.
.: .46
.34
Total
.: .63
.59
1.88
.60
1.31
.51
Total -Unloading by hand.
.: 1.18
1.54
1/ Resulting displays were jumbled with comparable appearance, height,
and depth.
EFFECT OF FULLNESS OF DISPLAY ON DISPLAY TIME
o
CO
c*
LU
o
<
Q.
Q
o
MINUTES
1.8
1.6h
1.4
1.2
1.0
.8
.6
.4
.2
0
FOR 100 SIZE ORANGES
Dump display
" Display by hand
01234 5 678
NUMBER OF BOXES DISPLAYED
*27" DISPLAY 36" DEEP STEP WITH 4" DIVIDERS.
S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NEC AMS 254-62(3) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE
Figure 1.
12
Price-Marking on the Sales Floor
When items are price-marked or coded at the time that they are placed on
counters, the most common method, for large items, is to pick up the item in
the left hand, bring it against the body and price-mark it with an indelible
pencil with the right hand . The item is then placed on the counter with the
left hand. This is a slow process. Two hands can be advantageously used with
some products, by price-marking a layer of produce in the container and then
placing it on the counter. When grading is done, a layer of the product can be
placed on the counter with both hands and then priced. Multi-impression stick
stamps or adhesive labels can be used for many items and are faster than using
an indelible pencil. The fastest method was to code the item either with a
stamp or with a single or double pencil mark to identify the item to the cash-
iers. It is necessary to have a code chart at the checkout counter to follow
this system. One effective marking code method is to use no marks for the item
with the highest price, one for the next price, and two for the next. When this
method is used, the price of the produce can be changed as necessary, simply by
adding a mark.
Rotation of Produce Displays
Because of the relatively short shelf life and of the variation in quality
that occurs within one lot or container, produce on display must be rotated and
sorted regularly. These same factors cause the customer to do more handling of
produce in selecting the items she wishes to purchase, and increase the need
for straightening of the displays. Though packaging reduces the handling of
merchandise, customers still tend to inspect more packages before making a selec
tion than they do when selecting more uniform products such as grocery, dairy,
or frozen-food items. As a result, produce is often handled several times after
it is placed on display.
Much produce is removed from the display and returned to the backrooms for
reconditioning, repackaging, or for nighttime storage in a refrigerator. When
this is done depends on whether the department handles prepackaged produce, uses
display cases with mechanical refrigeration, or has bulk produce on icebeds.
The percentages of rehandled items for bulk and prepackaged produce are
shown in table 6. The product rehandled is shown as a percentage of that sold.
For all produce handled, this varied from 8 to 25 percent for 10 stores. The
rehandling represents a considerable amount of labor spent on the product beyond
that required to place it on sale the first time.
Rotation of produce as it is displayed involves removal of old merchandise,
and sorting and placing it on top of the display after new merchandise has been
placed on the counter.
In test stores, a thorough rotation required one-third to two-thirds as
much time as was spent placing new stock on the counter. Type of item, condi-
tion, rate of sale, and the overall quality determine the extent of rotation.
Hardy fruits were rotated twice a week in most stores. Bagged items with code
identification were usually rotated daily or each time new stock was added. A
partial rotation for bulk displays of hardy fruits was often practiced; old
merchandise was moved to the front, and a close inspection made of the fruit;
- 13 -
Table 6. --Produce rehandled as a percentage of sales in three produce depart
ments for selected items and total items
Store A
Store B :
Store C
Item
Bulk produce
on icebed and :
dry racks.
Takedown at :
night
Prepackaged
produce on icebed
and dry rack.
Takedown at night
Prepackaged produce;
mechanical refrigerator
and dry rack.
No takedown.
Iceberg lettuce
Romaine lettuce
String beans
Percent
17.0
70.0
: 82.7
4.3
6.3
60c7
14.3
30.6
: 10.2
1/ 0
: 1/ 0
24.4
Percent
21.0
98.7
4.5
: 11.0
4.6
: 32.8
: 5.7
: 11.5
: 8o5
: 4.3
: 9.0
: 72.4
Percent
: 32.7
27.8
: 10.0
Cucumbers ... .»«..--- -
: 2.7
Grapes (fast move
Grapes (slow mov*
■"■P pj.eSooo.oo...o
irs
> o
0
0
: 5.3
: 1.6
: 2.6
Oranges .ooo.oo.o
: 4.1
Bananas .„««••• * .
Tomatoes (bulk) .
Sweetpotatoes . . .
: 3.2
: 1/ 0
: 10.0
Average --
all commodities...
: 16.7
: 21.9
7.8
1/ None returned to display.
then new merchandise was stocked at the rear of the counter. Soft fruits and
trimmed salad items received complete rotation each time merchandise was stockecL
Shopping carts were often used for rotation. The produce was removed from
the counter to the cart, new merchandise placed on the counter, and the old
produce inspected and returned to the top of the display piece by piece.
Straightening of displays, or "policing," is another form of merchandise
handling in which the clerk merely rearranges the display and possibly sorts
the merchandise. Often the clerk may spend only a few seconds on each individual
display, moving rapidly down the counter to improve the appearance of the entire
department by straightening the positions of produce.
In addition to rotating, policing, and rehandling, time was often spent
preparing produce items for sale at reduced prices. This was often more than
a price mar kdown, because frequently the product was packaged or presented in a
different form. Sometimes a "reduced for quick sale" price tag was added „
Table 7 shows the times required for the various display functions per
case of new merchandise for a selected group of commodities in one store. The
times vary with the perishability and the rate of turnover of the various prod-
ucts. For this store, original display represented only 40 percent of the total
handling of individual items of produce at the display case. These times ex-
clude travel and handling time from backroom to the display area.
14
Table 7. --Time for handling the individual item per case sold in a bulk-produce
department 1/
Policing :
Handling:
Display-:
Redisplay-:
Rotating :
and :
reduced:
Percent:
Selected :
ing new :
ing old :
or :
straight- :
merchan- :
rehan- :
Total
items :
merchan- :
merchan- :
moving :
ening :
dise :
died
dise :
dise
displays :
displays
Min.
Min.
Min.
Mm.
Min.
Pet.
Min.
Iceberg
lettuce
1.08
.31
.21
.29
.22
23.1
2.11
Corn
1.74
.36
.36
.32
.12
.14
.27
.30
11.1
30.2
. 2.52
String beans .
1.09
Cucumbers ....
.86
.09
.29
.91
.21
8.9
2.36
Apples , with
wraps .0
4.16
.05
2.46
.35
.11
. 2.9
.7.13
Grapes ,
seedless ....
. 2.33
.04
: .47
: .33
: .40
: 1.2
: 3.57
Grapes ,
Tokay
2.72
.36
: 2.95
: .29
: .41
: 12.7
: 6.73
Packaged
salad
. .95
.19
: .13
: .20
: .47
: 34.0
: 1.94
Cello carrots
. 1.39
: .10
: .19
: .19
:
: 6.0
: 1.87
5-lb. bag
potatoes ....
: .61
:
: .06
: .15
: .18
: 0
: 1.00
Store average
(all com-
modities)
: 1.31
: .44
: .63
: .42
: .53
: 18.0
: 3.33
1/ Includes only the handling of individual pieces of produce—not the
handling of full cases.
The exact location on the display rack from which customers select the
items is one aspect that affects rotation. If there is an obvious difference
in quality of old and new merchandise, no placement of rotated merchandise will
prevent customers from digging under to get the better grade. However, when
merchandise was all of good quality, most items were selected from the center
section of the counter (table 8) . Location of sales was measured by observing
the spot in the case from which the purchases were selected. The case was
divided from the front to back into 1-foot sections. When extensions were
added to the front of the case, these were measured as the first 18 inches.
The quantity and condition of the merchandise affected the location of sales
to some degree.
When the orange display was low, much heavier sales occurred in the back
section of the case than when the display was full. (Note that from one-third
to two-thirds of the items picked up were returned to the display.)
The amount on display at the time the counters are refilled affects rota-
tion time. Obviously, the more produce remaining on display, the more must be
moved to add new merchandise. This also depends on the space an item is given
in relation to its sales.
- 15 -
Table 8. --Location of item sales according to selection point on the display
case
Item
•
Selections
Returns
Bulk peas
Oranges
(Min. depth
of display)
Oranges 1/
(Well-filled
display)
1st
2nd
3rd
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4 th
12
12
12
18
12
12
12
18
12
12
12
18
12
12
12
inches
:
Number
27 :
55
24
13
58
57
33
33
64
46
13
13
25
13
3
Number
inches
inches
inches .•
inches
:
8
19
inches . . « . . •
,
18
inches
inches
inches . .....
:
5
11
22
inches ......
.
19
inches
3
Grapefruit
(Medium-full
display)
inches
:
10
inches
inches
inches
15
8
0
:
1/ These displays had about a 6-inch pyramided front.
The type of display case also affected rotation time. Cases with deep
recesses or glass fronts create pockets of merchandise not available to the
customer and these need to be rotated on a regular basis.
The most effective hand-method rotation system was to remove the old mer-
chandise to a tub or basket on the handtruck. The handtruck with the container
was parked next to the display and all old merchandise removed from the counter
by hand and placed in the container. The counter base was then cleaned and new
merchandise was placed or dumped on the counter. The old merchandise was then
sorted and returned to the center of the display. Sorting was done either when
removing the merchandise or when replacing it, and any off -quality merchandise
to be sold at reduced prices was set aside when sorted. In the case of bagged
or packaged merchandise, the packages containing any spoiled or off -quality
merchandise were opened and their contents removed. Items to be repackaged were
placed in a container to be returned to the packaging line.
In some stores, the use of counter liners increased efficiency in rotation.
Counter liners are pans which can be lifted out of the case to eliminate individ'
ual handling in rotation.
The following general rules to reduce rehandling of produce items were
developed.
16
1. Relate display-space size to expected sales and condition of produce.
2. Avoid display fixtures with deep recesses.
3. Rotate when needed and only then.
4. Keep displays separate when different lots of a given product vary in
quality, size, or condition. Don't mix quality.
5. Keep quantities low early in the week.
6. Refill displays when they hold the minimum quantity that will still
cover the display bases.
7. Use counter liners where possible.
Handling Shipping Containers
Produce shipping containers and boxes create a problem on the sales floor
if not properly handled. Some clerks simply drop the boxes, as they are emp-
tied, on the floor by the display counters, and pick them up later, creating an
unsightly and dangerous situation for the customers. Preferably, containers
should be cleaned, nested, or collapsed and stored on the work cart out of the
way.
Opening nailed containers requires a tool for prying and hammering down
the extra nail heads. Many clerks use an 8-ounce opener which is easy to
carry in the pocket. Generally, clerks agreed that the heavier 14-ounce opener
was superior for opening crates. An adequate tool rack on the cart handle elim-
inates the need to carry this tool in the pocket.
Wirebound crates can be difficult to open with the fingers. Several econom-
ical tools are available for this purpose (fig. 2). A short piece of half -inch
pipe flattened on each end to form an oval makes a good opener. The pipe is
slipped over the end of the wire to bend it upward. A small hook with a handle
can also be used. The operator hooks the end of each loop and pulls to straight
en the wire. When wirebound crates are to be collapsed, it is advantageous also
to remove the end loops when opening the box. Then when the box is empty, it
can be collapsed by pushing in the ends and folding the box.
Most corrugated fiber containers can be opened by pulling the flaps „ When
they are empty, the bottom flaps can also be pulled and the carton folded flato
Citrus-fruit cartons are somewhat heavier and more difficult to collapse.
The easiest method of collapsing these cartons is to raise the top slightly and
cut around three sides near the top with a case cutter. The carton can then be
emptied without separating the two parts of the box. When empty, the box is
turned over and the bottom slipped up slightly and cut the same way on three
sides (fig. 3). The box can then be collapsed and stored. Some clerks cut a
criss-cross on the base of the box through the two layers of cardboard, but a
problem occurred when staples were used in constructing the box; they often
nicked the cutter blade.
Miscellaneous Tasks Performed on the Selling Floor
Several other jobs on the selling floor performed by display personnel are
setting up and changing price signs; building and adding to special displays;
putting up promotional materials; cleaning floors and cases, taking care of
special departments, such as plants and flowers, or garden materials;
- 17 -
and helping customers. These jobs usually take little time, but a considerable
amount of time may be lost in performing them if the materials and tools are
not organized.
Hook for pulling wires.
BN-16039
BN-16040
Flattened pipe for bending wires.
Figure 2. --Two styles of openers used to open wirebound boxes in produce
departments .
18 -
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19 -
Price signs should be stored in partitioned bins at the display area or on
mobile carts to reduce travel time.
Mounting special promotional exhibits and decorations requires a certain
amount of artistic skill, and most store employees take great pride in their
abilities to develop such artistic displays. However, some materials and tools
are necessary if the end result is to be attractive. A stock of small boards
and staple-guns, tape, shelf extenders, and other material should be maintained
for this purpose. Also, a set of general rules should be developed to specify
how, where, and what kinds of display are desired by the company, because poor
location of special displays can detract from overall sales (3) . 1/
Takedown
The function of "taking down" merchandise from the display counter is per-
formed in varying degrees in most supermarkets. Some stores, especially those
using icebeds , remove all perishable produce from the counter each night and
remove all produce on the weekend. Other stores remove only selected items at
night, while some stores cover the displays at night and rework the merchandise
at the case the next morning.
The process of stripping the counter at night, if properly organized, can
be a simple one, and usually produce will be of better quality if the merchan-
dise is taken down and properly stored in the coolers during the night and re-
worked in the morning (4). A set of stacking and nesting tubs and some low
handtrucks to carry them constitute the primary equipment necessary for this
function.
The display case should be policed before closing to ascertain the quan-
tity and quality of the merchandise and to remove any that should be thrown
away. After store closing, items should be taken from the case and stacked in
tubs. Produce should be stacked vertically in the tub (not in layers) so that
each item is visible. Merchandise to be retrimmed should be kept apart from
items that can be returned directly to the display, and in separate tubs on a
separate truck. In large stores, the most effective takedown procedure was for
the operator to go twice through the department, removing produce to be reworked
on one trip and produce not requiring reworking on the next trip. The loaded
carts were then parked in the coolers and the cases and floor cleaned in prep-
aration for the next day.
The Materials -Handling Task in Produce Display Work
In two test stores, over 30 percent of the time spent on display work was
spent in obtaining and moving merchandise from backroom to selling floor.
During a typical week, in a produce department with weekly sales of $4,000,
employees moved 29,000 pounds of merchandise from the backroom to the selling
floor. Counting all the handlings, a full-time employee handled 45,000 to
60,000 pounds of merchandise and packing material each week.
1/ Underlined figures in parentheses refer to Literature Cited, p. 48
- 20 -
Selecting Merchandise and Loading for Display
In the normal cycle of display, the clerk determines the items needed at
the display counter, goes to the backroom, loads the items that are available,
and orders from the trimming or processing line those not available. The time
to obtain merchandise varied according to the arrangement of the backroom stor-
age areas. Produce should be displayed according to the length of time it has
been on hand and its condition. Orderly storage with proper coding of commod-
ities according to date received facilitates handling.
The methods of receiving produce usually had the greatest effect on acces-
sibility (5). The most effective overall method was to receive and store the
delivery load on semilive skids or pallets which were parked on one wall of
the cooler or storage area. Space was left between skids for "breakdown" --
when merchandise is left on skids, some pieces must be set aside to get other
desired items. At the end of each day or just before the next delivery, the
remaining merchandise on skids is removed, coded, and stored on another wall.
Merchandise to be trimmed for the morning counter setup or packaged early in
the day, can be consolidated on a separate skid. When selecting merchandise to
display the display clerk first checks the older merchandise area and then the
new load.
As much production work as possible should be done in the backrooms in
advance of display needs (6). The citrus fruit coder can be used advantageously
to price-code bulk citrus fruit in advance of storage and thus reduce the labor
required on the floor. It was also found advantageous to remove lids in the
backroom before moving to the sales floor.
Transporting Merchandise to the Display
While several types of carts may be used to move produce to the display,
the efficiency of the operation depends primarily on the number of pieces taken
per trip. Two-deck stocking trucks equipped with tool shelves may be used most
efficiently where little backroom packaging is done (fig. 4A) . The top deck
should be at a comfortable working height when merchandise is correctly posi-
tioned on it. These trucks should have a low second deck, 24 inches from the
floor, to hold empty containers. Carts can be built with "Y" handles for hold-
ing the box at the correct angle during unloading (fig. 4B) . During slack
periods, skids or pallets may be pulled to the floor, if they can be parked out
jof the way of customers. Lowboy and highboy dollies of various kinds work well
for trayed or packaged produce. Highboys that were found to be most efficient
were those with open-end loading which allowed the operator to reach the pan or
the merchandise conveniently. Also, they allowed easy removal of the pan from
Ithe highboy without spilling or damaging produce (fig. 4D) . Standard highboy
carriers often damage merchandise, when pans are placed in the racks, because
merchandise hanging over the side of the pan hits the support posts.
Shopping carts should not be used to transport merchandise to the produce
department because: (1) They can carry only small loads; (2) they often damage
the merchandise; (3) the produce causes deterioration of the cart's finish, and
(4) shopping carts require too much space in relation to the load. Another in-
efficient system was the use of the lowboy tub holder (fig. 4C) , which was
difficult to reach into, and provided none of the advantages of nesting tubs or
double-deck carts.
- 21 -
BN-16043
A. Two-deck cart
B. nY"-handle cart
BN-16034
C. Lowboy tub holder.
BN-16035
D. Open-end highboy carrier,
Figure 4. --Types of stocking carts used in displaying produce
- 22 -
WORK PLANNING BY THE PRODUCE DEPARTMENT MANAGER AND PERSONNEL
The ability of the department manager to develop an effective advance plan
for each day's workload was a key factor in realizing a gain in productivity
from improved display work procedures. Appreciable total time savings that can
be translated into a more effective merchandising effort, or a lower payroll
cost, are dependent upon combining the savings realized from many separate and
varied operations. The activities of display workers range over the entire
department and are of short duration, ranging from a few seconds to less than
10 minutes. Test-store experience indicated that time savings in one area of
work were easily dissipated by duplication of work or inefficient performance
in some other area. Usually, these time losses were due to poor planning or
the failure to keep employees informed of circumstances affecting their area of
work responsibility.
The work of managing was usually concentrated in the following areas:
(a) Ordering, inventory, and keeping records (Jl) ; (b) developing a schedule of
working hours for produce department help (_1) ; (c) planning space allotment,
location, color contrast, methods of stacking or packaging, and sizes of the
various displays, including form, location, and construction of "special" dis-
plays; and (d) instructing employees in stocking counters and in backroom pro-
duction (_2) . Management functions discussed here will be those relating to
display work.
Planning Counter Arrangement
Planning the arrangement of merchandise on a counter and the width of each
display was accomplished in several ways.
The experienced department manager usually developed a practiced eye in
making space assignments. Recollection of the previous setup, aided by the item
! markers in the price strip, construction joints, and other random benchmarks in
the counter surface, can serve as guidepoints for determining the location and
width of the areas to be occupied by produce items .
The most common method observed for resetting wet-rack divider strips at
desired space intervals was to place enough pieces of merchandise on the counter
to fill out the front row of each display and then position the divider strip.
Space determination by this method requires that a quantity of each item be at
hand before display work is begun.
Another approach to wet-rack-item spacing was to start with the first item
at one end of the counter and add adjacent items in sequence. The worker usually
remembered the number of rows of each item customarily displayed. This is sat-
isfactory only when there are no major changes in space allocation or changes
in work routine. Very often, near the end of the counter, adjustments were
required because of an error in judgment, which added considerable labor to the
task.
In many stores, minor changes in space allocation were required nearly
every day, because of the daily changes in the variety, quality, and quantity
of items received in the produce delivery. There were frequent omissions or
- 23 -
additions of items to the daily produce delivery. Store personnel were not
told of these items until the truck arrived or until the central-office in-
struction sheet was received.
Until all counters were completely set up, the display arrangement existed
only as a mental picture for the department manager and his assistants. The
manager was obliged to create a display from memory, giving due consideration
to: The variety of items to be stocked; the size of all display counters and
stands; the color contrast desired; the grouping of similar items; the traffic-
pulling influence of certain items; and the instructions received from superiors
regarding special displays. As a result, workers tended to pause frequently
while setting up new displays, continuously checking by eye and attempting to
estimate whether the counter, when fully stocked, would be spaced and balanced
in accordance with the instructions given by the manager. The worker was obliged
to confer frequently with the manager to determine whether his work correctly
followed the manager's instructions „ Counter display work often was delayed
until all items were at hand, so that each could be set on the counter in se-
quence, rather than beginning with whatever items were immediately available.
This resulted in loss of time for display workers while waiting for backroom
processing to be completed or, perhaps, for items to be received in the morning
delivery.
The first step in installing a systematic procedure for space planning is
division of counters into numbered space units.
To determine the width of displays most commonly used, measurements were
made in stores of several firms. These measurements showed there were several
common widths used for displays. The widths tended to be multiples of 7 , 8,
or 9 inches .
There was a marked tendency to hold display widths to two or three sizes
and to keep an equal width on displays of similar sizes as a means of balancing
the eye appeal of the counters. Therefore, in planning displays, the "common
denominator" width should be determined and marked on the counter. For example,
"red radishes, two widths; celery, four; and spinach, three," would indicate,
with a common denominator width of 8 inches, a width of 16 inches for red rad-
ishes, 32 inches for celery and 24 inches for spinach. Sketching out such a
plan on paper permits the adjustment of spaces without moving the merchandise,
and serves as a written order to the clerks. A display layout guide based on
this principle, for use in a department with a multiple of 9 inches as a common
denominator, is shown in figure 5.
Tray display offers a system for planning space for produce based on the
the number of trays or baskets used; this greatly simplifies the planning
process (fig. 5). The desired tray space can be marked on the counter and these
slots filled with combinations of half or whole trays.
Organizing Produce Display Work to Reduce Travel
The operations performed on the selling floor are varied, but most opera-
tors follow a normal work cycle. This cycle consists of obtaining the merchan-
dise; loading it on a stocking cart; moving it to the selling floor; displaying
and rotating the items; and then returning to the backroom with salvage, trash
and off -grade merchandise. These byproducts are disposed of and the cycle re-
peated.
P - 24 -
Tray display with
mobile potato bins
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Figure 5. --Layout guides used to plan location of various produce items
on the display case. The layout is filled in in pencil as it would
be in actual use.
- 25 -
Study of display work patterns in produce departments showed that produce
employees habitually worked on only two or three items in each counter stocking
cycle. This was characteristic of the work pattern in both morning setup and
routine restocking throughout the day. The movement of merchandise from back-
room storage and preparation areas is heavily concentrated in the morning setup
period--7 to 11 a.m. This period afforded the greatest opportunity for deriving
maximum benefit from improved handling procedures .
A typical display cycle in one store is shown in figure 6A. Clerks trans-
ported small loads and performed unnecessary travel to obtain tools and materials.
The most efficient display cycle minimizes the extra travel between selling
floor and backrooms. Merchandise needs are determined in advance, and loads are
selected so that the operator makes a minimum number of trips. The merchandise
is loaded so that a logical path can be followed through the produce department*
All necessary tools and supplies are carried on the cart, and trash and salvage
are nested and stacked on the cart. Markdowns and merchandise needing reworking
are taken care of on the return trip; salvage, trash, and garbage are disposed
of on entry to the backrooms.
Convenient temporary storage for salvage, trash, and garbage should be
provided so that clerks will be encouraged to dispose of these items as they
enter the backrooms. In a prepack operation, it may be of prime importance to
locate trash disposal near the production line. There should be adequate stor-
age place for unused carts. Prepack trays and trim tubs should have a storage
location beyond the trash and salvage so that these items are returned to the
production area.
In test stores, the produce manager was asked to spend a few minutes each
morning reviewing the total workload of his department for that day. In devis-
ing improvements for counter stocking work, an effort was made to have each
cycle of work carefully planned by the worker before leaving the backroom.
Clerks were furnished with small notepads and asked to write down the items,
varieties, and quantities that should be stocked next. This same list was used
to give instructions to the trimmer and other personnel engaged in backroom
preparation work and in assembling merchandise on the handtruck. The worker was
encouraged to load the truck with a view to unloading; that is, the sequence in
which merchandise would be displayed.
When assembly of merchandise was completed, the clerk reviewed display
requirements for each item on his cart to determine: (1) The tools, supplies,
and price-marking equipment that would be needed; (2) the current prices, from
the daily price sheet posted on the cooler door; and (3) any pertinent special
instruction given in the daily information sheet.
A major objective in the improvement of work performed in the sales area
was to establish at the counter continuous work sequences of 30 to 50 minutes'
duration for the morning setup period, and 15 to 20 minutes for routine restock-
ing operations. Figure 6B shows an optimum display cycle for the test store
after improved display methods had been adopted.
- 26 -
COOLER
COOLER
DRY STORAGE
PACKAGE
;.-■;;
Ml.
DRY
STORAGE
BACK ROOM
TRIM
TRASH
PACKAGE CARTS
«/;;
A. Typical display work cycle.
B. Improved work cycle
Figure 6. --Work cycles covering the travel used to place one cart
load of merchandise on the display case.
- 27
In the improved operation, by transporting more cases per trip, and
anticipating sales so that the displays were refilled prior to need, approxi-
mately one-fourth of the previous time for this operation was saved. Studies
of the conventional pattern of counter stocking work in two of the test stores
showed that an average of 2.1 and 2.7 master containers were brought to the
counter on each trip. This average was raised to 3.4 and 4.7 cases per trip
by using the improved procedures. Interruptions caused by lack of adequate
equipment and pricing information were practically eliminated. In addition,
more time was spent in rotating and merchandising, and the quality of the prod-
uce and the display appearance were greatly improved. Test -store measurement
of travel time for the display function showed that this time could be reduced
as much as 45 percent, or about 1/3 minute per container (table 9).
Table 9 . --Improvements in travel time for displaying produce in 2 stores
Store A
Store B
Period
: Average cases
: per trip
Travel time
per case
Average cases
per trip
Travel time
per case
Before training
After training
: Cases
2.70
: 4.72
Minute
: 0.781
.426
Cases
2.11
3.39
Minute
0.568
.445
Savings
j
.355
: .123
Equalizing the Display Workload
Normally, the rate of produce shopping is heaviest on weekends and during
certain periods of the day, but work schedules often cannot be adjusted to fit
this sales pattern. A good produce manager will add merchandise to his displays
in advance of peak selling periods . This enables him to schedule his assistants'
work more evenly, or "equalize0" This advance preparation of displays also has
the advantage of reducing the number of clerks, carts, and other paraphernalia
on the selling floor during peak periods. An even workload schedule not only
reduced labor cost, but also reduced out-of -stock conditions. Practices which
were found to be of the greatest help in equalizing the display workload were:
1. Rotate and load displays before expected peak sales periodo
2. Do as much work as possible before the expected peak sales period
(such as premarking citrus fruit, packaging, pricing, and trimming).
3. Prepare ahead of time the loads of merchandise which will be needed
at the displays.
4. Work the items on the dry counters in the evening so that wet and
perishable items can be worked exclusively early in the next morning.
5. Work on bulky items which tend to create congestion on the floor
during slack periods .
6. Provide written work assignments for employees' guidance, particularly
during slack periods and evenings.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR DISPLAY WORK
Keys to effective work are: (1) Transport adequate loads to the produce
department sales area to reduce the total number of trips; (2) have on the
28
vehicle all the tools and supplies necessary to do the job, to reduce travel
time; and (3) use effective methods of transferring and rotating the merchandise.
The following principles express most of the best methods employed in various
display procedures:
1. Plan the work ahead.
2. Do as much work as possible in the backroom.
3. Take a large load to the counters and plan an efficient work cycle.
4. Carry necessary tools and supplies on the vehicle.
5. Park the cart close to the display.
6. Position the box of produce close to the body of the handler.
7. Use both hands to transfer merchandise.
8. Use dump or loose displays where possible.
9. Place an entire container with its contents on the counter where possible
10. Keep merchandise displays at reasonable heights.
11. Follow an orderly path at the counter.
12. Use containers that nest and stack.
13. Get rid of garbage, trash, and salvage as they accumulate.
These principles were taught to the produce department personnel of two
bulk-produce departments. The results of applying these improved work methods
are shown in table 10, with "before" and "after" time studies of the display
functions performed. The labor savings for these two stores, which averaged
$3,000 to $3,500 a week in produce sales, was 23 and 28 percent. This amounted
to about 26 to 30 hours per 1,000 cases handled.
Table 10. --Average time per container
before and af
to perform bulk produce display work
ter training in improved methods
Activity
Store A
Before
After
Store B
Before
After
Select and load merchandise for
display
Obtain materials and equipment
Other backroom handling ,
All display travel 0
Display and price
Rotate, rearrange, police „..,
Open containers 0 ,
Redisplay. . . „ ,
Handle distress produce ,
Other display handling. . 0 . . . . o
Salvage and refuse handling ,
Wet -rack handling ,
I Takedown ,
Plan work, check records . . . . 0
Total time per master container...,
Personal and fatigue allowance--
15 percent
Standard time per master container
Minutes
.35
.29
.01
1.04
1.91
.51
.23
.82
.02
.28
.10
.02
1/
.04
5.62
.84
6.46
Minutes
.21
.10
.50
1.38
.65
.20
.53
.03
.16
.24
.02
1/
.03
4.05
.61
4.66
Minutes
.32
.23
.12
.52
1.32
1.05
.12
.44
.53
.30
.40
.17
.36
.08
5.96
.89
6.85
Minutes
.20
.19
.09
.46
1.05
.59
.12
.23
.16
.31
.42
.20
.25
.32
4.59
.69
5.28
Percent of time saved
27.9
22.9
1/ Not obtained
- 29 -
DISPLAY CASES
Both refrigerated and unrefrigerated display cases are used for produce.
Refrigeration methods include forced-air refrigeration and icebed cooling. In
the stores studied, mechanically refrigerated cases were most often used with
packaged produce.
The Preparation of Display Counter Bases
Produce clerks in the stores studied spent considerable time in preparing
or adjusting display counter bases.
One of the principal results of counter adjustment was to raise the prod-
uce, often out of the effective temperature-control area. In an effort to re-
duce the quantity of produce on display, for both mechanical and dry counters,
the clerks used "dummies" (filler material placed under the produce). Aluminum
foil and cardboard boxes were used in great quantities, as well as various other
packaging supplies. In several instances, produce packaging supplies worth $50
or more were found under the produce displays, and most of the supplies were no
longer usable for packaging (fig. 7). Regardless of the display-case design,
most produce managers spent considerable effort in changing the case base for
different products.
BN-16045
Figure 7 . --Packaging supplies used as dummies in produce cases.
- 30 -
Where bulk produce was displayed in forced-air units, there was a tendency
to block the flow of air. Reasons given by the store employees for this were
to vary temperature for different products and to prevent the drying of some
products. Plywood inserts were built, which caused dead-air space, shut off
the circular flow of air, and raised the display.
The displays resulting from these efforts often reduced the selection area
for the customer. Many customers would not select produce items from the front
of a highly pyramided or stacked display for fear of causing produce to fall on
the floor. These customers were limited in their selection to items on top of
the display (fig. 8).
Glass fronts and deep-set recesses in the front of the case also caused
considerable produce to be on display but not available to the customer. Mer-
chandise in these pockets tended to be overlooked during rotation, and much
merchandise spoiled.
A display counter was designed that provided a maximum selection area for
the customer with a minimum of produce on display (fig. 9). Windows or glass
fronts were removed, and counters were sloped to make the most merchandise
i possible available to the customer's view, with the least chance of produce
rolling off on the floor.
<~P0GR ROTATION
CROSS SECTION Of A
DRY PRODUCE
DISPLAY RACK
•**»*
CROSS SECTION OF I
MECHANICAL REFRIGERATED
PRODUCE DISPLAY RACK
fWt
//til I I I 1 11 \ \\
Figure 8. --Cross section drawing of typical produce display counter bases show-
ing the area of primary selection available to the customer.
- 31
■Cross section of a step counter dry rack display showing position of
second deck shelf and promotional extension stand.
32 -
Mass effects were achieved by adding shelf extenders to the front of the
display. Extra shelves can be added above the displays for sales of slower-
moving items. In instances where mirror backs are used, some operators have
experimented with cutting down the space early in the week by hinging the mirror
to swing forward and show only one tray of merchandise 0
For mechanically refrigerated cases, inserts were placed in the case to
provide the base (fig. 10). On icebed cases, the step was metal-lined so that
ice could be dumped directly on it0 With this system, most trim items can be
given a complete display with one layer of merchandise,,
The counter base was designed to hold trays as shelf liners, to make rota
tion easier and to allow a freer shifting of display location.
c^
'A. Cross section of a multideck re-
frigerated case with step inserts.
BN-16048
Inserts used in refrigerated cases
to gain step counter effect.
Figure 10. --Cross section of a multideck refrigerated produce display case show-
ing inserts added to the counter base to provide for tray handling.
- 33 -
Individual products were displayed in "blocks" rather than "ribbons."
While each product was given about the same total surface, the mass of produce
was closer together (fig. 11). For slower-moving items, a checkerboard system
was used with one item in front of another. The advantage of this type of dis-
play was the ability to service the case with a minimum of labor. Clerks were
able to have adequate displays with a minimum of merchandise and yet be able to
expand the display quickly.
Multideck Displays
Most multideck produce display cases with either mechanical refrigeration
or dry-storage racks are designed for hand placement of individual pieces of
produce. These cases are very effective in the use of space, especially for
slow-moving produce items or for small-volume stores. The problem for a large-
volume produce department is to adapt these cases, by use of a stepped shelf
base liner, so that trays can be used for display, (7) (fig. 10). Metal inserts
designed to hold trays may be placed on top of the case's adjustable display
base; these should have holes to permit passage of air (fig. 10B) . In some
instances of cases less than 36 inches from front to back, the trays may be
inserted with the length of the tray front to back in the display. With this
system no shelf base liner is needed. The second shelf may present no real
problem, as it can be converted for single-tray use. Shelves above this level
can then be utilized for a special container or used with hand displays of small
items .
Rear-Service Display Cases
Rear-service produce display cases have not met with as much success as
rear-service meat cases. This may be due in part to habit, since meat depart-
ments usually are serviced from the rear even when meat is sold in service form.
The produce clerk, however, has traditionally been stationed in front of his
displays. This, however, is not the only factor. Produce is usually handled
in larger bulk than meat, with more pieces and more bulk for each type of item
displayed. Produce also tends to have a higher slope toward the customer.
Clerks say that they cannot see properly to arrange the display for satisfactory
customer appearance. Time studies made of rear-service display indicate it
takes longer to display from the rear than the front (table 11) 0 Display
methods from the rear tend to become a hand-to-hand pass of each item and few
bulk handling techniques can be used.
Table 11 . --Comparative time per piece required to place selected produce items
on front- and rear-service displays using the hand-to-hand pass method
Item * Display from front
Display from rear
• Minutes
Bag carrots . . „ : .024
Eggplant : .024
Bag lettuce : .022
Corn : .021
Celery : .027
Cabbage : .027
Minutes
.027
.030
.030
.027
.028
.027
Average : .024
028
Savings : 147o
- 34 -
BN-16028
A. Dry rack,
BN-16046
B. Refrigerated rack.
Figure 11 . --Produce displays using the "checkerboard" method of
product placement.
- 35 -
The confusion of containers, carts, and other produce equipment tradition-
ally kept in produce backrooms and behind the cases also tends to complicate
rear service. If the 3-foot aisle, considered minimum for rear service, were
added onto the selling aisle, the net effect would be more space and less con-
fusion for both customers and clerks (!3) .
UNIT HANDLING
Unit handling involves moving a box or container of produce instead of
individual pieces. For example, produce clerks may move and display the item
in the original shipping container. Placing produce on display requires consid-
erable individual handling, and it is here that unit handling provides an oppor-
tunity for the greatest possible improvement.
Tray Display
The system, developed by researchers, of arranging produce on trays in
backrooms and inserting an entire tray of merchandise into the counter is called
tray display. The trays are either wire baskets for use with wet merchandise or
pans for use with dry merchandise. The most common pan or basket size is
18 x 27 inches, which holds approximately one shipping container of new merchan-
dise. The concept of displaying merchandise in trays is not new, and has pre-
viously been used in service meat counters and by many fruit and vegetable stands
Adapting the method to modern self-service supermarkets, however, requires con-
siderable engineering. In this system, produce is removed from its original
shipping container at backroom production tables or at the trimming station and
placed on the display tray ready for the counter. The trays are then placed on
mobile racks for transporting either to the cooler or to the selling floor.
When some bulk items such as apples, string beans, or peas are displayed
loose without pyramiding, the pans used would not hold a normal-size box of
produce. In such cases, a tray "collar" is used to build up the sides of the
tray and hold the merchandise until ready for display (fig. 12). These collars
provide sides for the tray but have no bottom. When the tray is placed on the
display counter, the collar can be pulled up, allowing the merchandise to spread
and give the display a fuller appearance.
In some cases these collars were left on the pans in order to hold small
loose items, such as chestnuts or white onions, on the display.
Some slow-moving items may be displayed with two or three different items
on a tray. This is usually done when the product does not require rotation
more than once a day.
Restocking the Display Case
Restocking the display with trays involves removing an empty or partially
empty tray of produce from the counter, and replacing it with a full tray
(fig. 12B) . The previously displayed produce is then placed on top of the new
display, and inspecting and checking for quality are done in the process.
- 36 -
BN-16030
A.
Tray collar used on some bulk
displays .
BN-16029
Inserting trays into the
display.
Figure 12. --Displaying produce by the tray display method
The rotation procedure for items, such as lettuce, that are displayed on
two trays was to move old merchandise from the forward tray to the rear tray by
hand. The front tray was removed and the rear tray pulled forward. A tray of
mew merchandise was then inserted in the rear slot and the display leveled.
When the operator desired to build the display higher, both trays could be re-
moved and replaced, and previously displayed merchandise placed on top.
Display and rotation time vary according to the commodity and according to
how much rotation is done. Few stores rotated each commodity every time the
display was filled.
The time required to rotate and display various commodities with comparable
quantities of produce on display and of newly added produce is shown for hand
methods and for tray use (table 12) . Savings for the tray method ranged from
1 to nearly 3^- minutes per crate. In this table an equal amount of rotation
was done on each display, whether by hand or with trays. For commodities not
needing complete rotation every time the displays were filled, merchandise was
added to the top of the displays, usually by dumping. Under normal operating
conditions, it was noted that considerably more attention was given to rotation
when tray display was used. While this tended to decrease the time saved, it
generally improved the quality of the merchandise on display.
- 37 -
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38 -
Counter Setup
One of the most efficient uses of tray display is in setting up display
counters at the beginning of the day.
When using the tray system, the produce manager first prepares a list of
commodities needed for the displays, ordering them by baskets or pans. These
are prepared in the backroom and loaded on carriers; some merchandise can be
prepared the night before. (Retrimmed produce is placed on top of the new mer-
chandise.) The clerk then removes the carriers to the selling floor and places
the trays on display according to a prearranged plan. A large produce depart-
ment can be completely set up in 10 minutes if the produce has been properly
prepared in the backroom. The tray method also allows flexibility in placing
merchandise. For example, extra trays of staple merchandise can be used to fill
the case until out-of-stock items arrive. The time saved in shifting displays
is one of the advantages for the tray method of handling produce (table 12) .
Takedown
Trays are effective also for taking merchandise off the counter for storage
at night in refrigerated coolers. The clerk on duty consolidates produce in
the trays about 30 minutes before closing time. When two or more trays of an
; item are on display, merchandise is moved to one tray and empty trays are re-
moved. Items are removed from between trays so that no overhang exists. When
the store closes, the clerk returns with empty tray carriers and removes the
trays from the counter. Merchandise that is to be trimmed or reworked is kept
separate from items that can be returned to the display. These carriers are
I then moved into the produce cooler and the cases and floor are cleaned.
Preparation of Trays
A work station for preparation of merchandise for tray display should have
all necessary tools and materials located conveniently for the operator. Back-
room production work for tray display falls into three classes: Trimming, pack-
aging, and filling trays. The trimming stations used were the USDA-designed
right-angle units with sinks (2) . A holding rack was added for trays, usually
over the sink, and as the operator completed the work on each item (including
pricing), he placed it in the tray ready for display (fig. 13). Some trimmers
used a holding basket and separated the operations of trimming and bagging. The
use of tray display procedures added no time to the trimming operation.
For produce packaged in the store, the USDA-designed right-angle packaging
table was used, and packages were placed in the tray as completed (6^). Packag-
ing work is done in exactly the same way as that without tray display, because
in this case, the tray substitutes for a tote box. The tray carriers proved
superior to other carriers for packaged produce, because of the open-end loading
The USDA-designed table described for prepackaging is adequate for prepar-
ing merchandise for bulk tray display, but not all of the packaging supplies
that are provided are necessary. The work station should be near the salvage
and trash storage area. The operator places an empty tray directly in front in
the space normally used for packaging and thus moves merchandise the shortest
possible distance from the box or container to the tray.
- 39 -
BN-16047
Figure 13 . --Workplace for trimming produce and preparing it for tray display.
He needs a low-deck cart to move merchandise to the work station, storage facil-
ities for pans, collars, and other equipment, and parking space for a merchandise1
carrier. The table should provide a holding shelf for a shipping container of
produce. This shelf is used to hold the container while it is being opened and
to work from when hand-placing items on the tray (fig. 14).
Preparing bulk trays of merchandise in the backroom at an organized work-
place is faster than transferring the items directly into the case. When volume
of business justifies, different personnel should be assigned to the backroom
tray preparation and to the counter display functions. This allows for special-
ization of skills, and encourages some advance planning of display needs.
Advantages of Tray Display
The tray display system has a number of advantages for retail operators.
These are:
1. Reduced handling of the product . --With the tray system, less handling
of individual items is done. This helps to reduce damage and shrinkage and
saves labor.
- 40
BN-16031
Figure 14 0 --Workplace for preparation of bulk produce for tray display.
2. Better rotation. --It is difficult to rotate produce in conventional
displays. With the tray system, produce was rotated nearly every time the dis-
play was filled, with the result that a much better quality of produce was on
display.
3. Less congestion on the selling floor . --Clerks are able to fill displays
more rapidly and thus spend less time on the selling floor, blocking the aisles.
4. Neater sales area. --Boxes and other packing materials stay in the back-
room. Only carriers with trays are moved to the selling floor.
5. Flexibility of display location. --Changing the location or size of the
display was one of the time-consuming jobs in conventional produce departments.
With tray display, pans are readily shifted.
6. Better display planning. --Clerks can plan on a definite numbei f trays
to fill the display and arrange them quickly and easily.
7. Fixed workplaces, saving labor. --When display preparation is done on
the floor, clerks work at inefficient heights and have difficulty in using good
work methods. Better production, with less effort, can be obtained by using a
fixed workplace.
41
8. Equalization of workload by advance preparation of displays . --In
conventional produce departments, most of the display work cannot be done until
the counters need more merchandise. With tray display, most of the work can be
done in the backroom when convenient.
9. Maintenance of full displays by clerks . --Tray display enables clerks
to replenish a display quickly when necessary. Thus, counters can be kept full,
even during heavy selling periods, when there has been advance preparation.
Good managerial ability is important with the tray display system, just as
it is with any other system. To use tray display effectively, the manager must
schedule his production work well ahead of need. Also, for the tray display
system to work effectively, adequate equipment of the right kind must be provided,
While this added cost is nominal in a new store, where tray display equipment
can be purchased rather than other items and equipment, in older stores the
equipment and modifications may cost several thousand dollars.
Rolling or Mobile Displays
Rolling displays are mobile display units which can be moved to permit re-
location or to facilitate stocking. These are usually built in the form of seg-
ments of display cases or shelving, and they provide a small segment of a display
which can be removed and taken to the backroom for stocking.
Portable Display Bin
One of the most common types of mobile displays is the rolling potato bin
(fig. 15). Most of the units tested were designed to be loaded in the backroom
from storage, or directly from the delivery truck. For the system to work ef-
fectively, several of these bins must be kept in reserve in the backroom. When
produce stock in a bin runs low, it is replaced by a full bin from the backroom.
The produce left in the old bin is placed on top of the new merchandise to com-
plete the operation.
Several mechanical problems were noted in the bins studied. Many of the
bins were too large for the amount of produce in the displays. As a result,
more than one commodity was often displayed in each bin, limiting the use of the
bin for rotation. They were too heavy, when full, to be readily moved by the
store employees. Many of the casters were too small for the load or were of a
soft rubber material which increased the difficulty of moving them with a full
load. A rolling bin with slower-moving bagged items needs adequate "dummies,"
or space fillers, so that a full appearance can be given without displaying too
much merchandise. A shelf at the top of the bin can be used effectively to
hold pans or baskets of small items associated with the potato and onion display.
Another type of bin without wheels can be built to place over semilive skids or
for use with pallet jacks.
To make the most effective use of rolling bins, several new designs were
tested. These bins incorporated the following features:
1. A size small enough so that they may be used exclusively for one item.
2. Nylon or hard-rubber casters capable of moving a full load.
3. Swivel casters on front or back only.
- 42 -
!
' :,< :
BN-16036
BN-16037
A. Full-castered bin. B. Semilive skid bin.
Figure 15. --Mobile display bins for handling and displaying bulk produce items.
4. Adjustable dummies in the bin to allow flexibility, preferably attached
to the bin so they cannot be removed (this permits maximum opportunity of selec-
tion with a minimum of product on display) .
5. A shelf at the top of the bin which can be used for small items when
displays are lower than the top of the bin.
6. The leading edges of the bins should be cut back enough to allow cus-
tomers a full view of the produce.
Rolling bins are most commonly used with bagged potatoes and onions, but
they also work well for high-volume bagged fruits, such as oranges and apples,
for watermelons, and for some nonfood items, such as charcoal briquettes.
The amount of labor saved by bins is highest when produce is received from
the truck and placed directly into the bins. Watermelons and 10-pound bags of
potatoes were frequently handled in this manner. The chief advantage of using
bins was the capability of preparing displays in advance in the backroom, and
thereby reducing congestion on the sales floor.
- 43 -
Display bins were most effective when used in conjunction with some of the
regular display shelving for the slowest moving bagged items, and when a surplus
of bins in the backroom equal to one-half the number actually on display was
provided. Usually, not all the display bins were placed on display during the
first part of the week. When the floor area reserved for them was tiled like
the rest of the store floor, this did not appear to be a vacant space as would
a similar area in a fixed display which has an unfinished floor.
Data from time studies for handling 5- and 10-pound bagged potatoes by
several methods are shown in table 13. Bins on semilive skids required extra
handling, due to the use of a jack, and took somewhat longer to operate than
bins with wheels. It required less time to handle 5- and 10-pound bags of
potatoes in bins than with conventional methods.
Table 13. --Time per bag to handle and display 5- and 10-pound bags of potatoes
with or without bins 1/
Conventional
Activity
: 4- 6c
:5-lb.
♦bag
10 -lb
bag
Wheeled bins
4- &
5-lb
ba£_
10 -lb
bag
Semilive bins
4- &
5-lb.
bag
10-lb
bag
: Min. Min.
Receiving : .116 .204
Packaging 1/ : .522 .720
Load for display : .016 .076
Travel : .033 .068
Display : .061 . 109
Handling at display : .026 .050
Rotate and rearrange : .017 .031
Handle broken bags : .010 .014
Min.
.121
.522
.010
.003
.015
.015
.002
Min.
.214
.720
.018
.005
.031
.023
.007
Min.
.123
.522
.022
.005
.015
.015
.002
Min.
.216
.720
.033
.010
.031
.023
.007
Totals: :
Received packaged : .279 .552
Packaged in store : .801 1.272
.166
.688
.298
1.018
.182
.704
.320
1.040
1/ Excludes a savings in time for receiving in 50- or 100-pound bags.
Watermelon Racks
Another version of the display bin was developed by adapting semilive skids
as watermelon racks. A rack of this type consisted of a folding frame which,
when placed over the skid, formed a bin for storage of melons (fig. 16). While
these bins were of rough lumber, they were often used on the selling floor by
draping the sides with grass matting or large advertising signs. Labor saved in
handling watermelons, compared to that in the usual practice of using shopping
carts, was more than 5 hours per 1,000 melons (_5 ) . When not in use, the racks
were folded and placed in storage. These racks were used also for temporary
storage of trash and salvage. Some of the advantages of rolling display bins
are:
1. Complete rotation is easy.
2. Some of the display work can be done in advance.
3. Flexibility--space can be readily adjusted by adding or removing bins.
4. Less handling.
5. Fewer damaged packages than in conventional displays.
- 44 -
BN-16032
Figure 16. --Racks on semilive skids for hand-
ling watermelons in retail food stores.
For proper use of rolling display bins, the display size must be keyed to
the size of the bin. Bins are not as efficient when several types of items are
displayed in each bin. The pricing policy of the company also needs to be con-
sidered. Last-minute price changes caused difficulties in some instances,
where merchandise had been priced ahead and placed in bins in advance of their
need in the displays.
Mobile Multishelf Displays
Another type of rolling display is under development, which uses pans or
baskets in tiers on a highboy carrier (fig. 17). These devices have several
shelves available to the customer, and are used for a variety of fruits and
vegetables, displayed in a manner similar to that in the tray display method,
with each pan removable for replenishment. At the time this report was written,
the units did not have refrigeration, but experimentation with air-curtain
refrigeration was underway. This would allow a row of these rolling displays
to be parked under the refrigeration unit, giving complete flexibility in dis-
play placement, with either front or back available for service, and could
eliminate one additional handling of the product.
Another important system of handling mobile displays is still under study.
Greater efficiency in the use of mobile displays will ultimately be achieved
when these displays are prepared in the warehouse or processing plant as the
product is taken from the processing line. This operation will require better
means of shipping the bins to the store, to prevent shifting of the load and
damage to the bins in transit. Present shipping practices tend to damage con-
tainers so that they are not as attractive when on display. Another problem
is to prevent too much loss of space in the trailer so that delivery costs do
not increase excessively. Once these problems are solved, this system holds
great promise as a means of reducing handling costs.
- 45 -
BN-16033
Figure 17. --A new type of rolling retail display shelf used for produce and
other items.
Effect of Use of Tray Display and Rolling Display Bins
The application of the tray display system to existing stores usually
results in substantial labor savings. Other improvements in handling and dis-
play may also result in substantial labor savings.
To evaluate the tray display system, the researchers first made as many
improvements in the operation of three existing stores as they could without
use of trays or bins. The resulting operations were analyzed in detail. These
stores were then converted to use of trays and bins and the studies were re-
peated. The data were adjusted so that each comparison represents an average
of the produce carried by each store3 but the work methods studied were those
used by employees after training. Not all of the produce was displayed by the
tray method.
The tray system for bulk produce resulted in considerable extra effort in
rotation. One result was a much better quality of product on the shelves
(table 14).
- 46 -
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- 47
In prepackaging operations, the amount of produce packaged varied between
stores. Store A, for instance, packaged only that produce which had to be
packaged for self-service. Some uniform-size fruits were sold on a piece basis,
and little packaging was done for the wet-rack items. Store B did considerable
packaging, even when operating with bulk sales, especially of potatoes and
onions. Store C packaged all produce.
No comparison can be made between prepack and bulk departments on the basis
of table 13, because customer service time was not included for bulk operations.
In general, savings for bulk departments through use of tray display and
mobile display bins amounted to slightly less than \ minute for every case
handled. The saving for prepack stores was about 1 minute per case (table 14).
These savings ranged from 8 to 19 hours per 1,000 cases handled.
LITERATURE CITED
(1) Agricultural Marketing Service and Federal Extension Service.
1960. Managing and Scheduling of a Retail Produce Department.
Mktg. Bui. 11, 12 pp., illus.
(2) Anderson, D. L. , Shaffer, P. S., and Hapner , Francis.
1957. Improved Methods of Trimming Produce in Retail Food Stores.
U. S. Dept. Agr. Mktg. Res. Rpt. 192, 48 pp., illus.
(3) Anderson, D. L. , and Shaffer, P. S.
1961. Display Location and Customer Service in Retail Produce
Departments. U. S. Dept. Agr. Mktg. Res. Rpt. 501, 50 pp. illus.
(4) Lewis, William E.
1959. Maintaining Produce Quality in Retail Stores, U. S. Dept. Agr.
Handb. 117, 50 pp., illus.
(5) Shaffer, Paul S., and Anderson, Dale.
1956. Unloading and Receiving Produce in Retail Food Stores.
U. S. Dept. Agr. Mktg. Res. Rpt. 129, 14 pp., illus.
(6) Shaffer, Paul, Anderson, Dale, Wischkaemper , Paul, and Karitas , James
1958. Packaging and Price-Marking Produce in Retail Food Stores.
U. S. Dept. Agr. Mktg. Res. Rpt. 278, 86 pp., illus.
(7) Toothman, James S., and Anderson, Dale L.
1958. Equipment Specifications for Tray Display of Produce in Retail
Stores. U. S. Dept. Agr. Mktg. Res. Rpt. 279, 18 pp., illus.
48
nFRONT
FRONT
DRY RACK COUNTER LINER
l2"DIAMETER
VENTILATION
HOLES
P DUMMY FOR
AY IN MECHANICAL
ATION DISPLAY
Figure 18. --Counter base for various display racks used with tray display
- 49 -
6 CROSS WIRES
SPACED I 3/ "
8
TOP RING I8"x 27"
BOTTOM RING I6"x25"
TRAY DEPTH Z"OVERALL
WIRE TRAY FOR WET RACK PRODUCE
U.S.DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NEG 6328-58(7) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
NEG. 6328-58(7) AMS
Figure 19 •--Wire tray for wet rack produce and tray collar
used on pan in tray display.
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- 51
NOTE : l" MIN RADIUS
ON ALL BENDS
~--7 5" CASTERS
2 FIXED
2 SWIVEL
(NOTE: THIS DRAWING SHOWS ONLY CONFIGURATION AND DIMENSION)
12 TRAY
CARRIER
U S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
HEG 63 30- b8( 7) AGRICULTURAL M A RK E Tl NG SE RVICE
I Figure 22. Double tier 12-tray carrier for produce
NOTE ■ I MIN RADIUS
^5 ON ALL BENDS
5 CASTERS
2 FIXED
2 SWIVEL
(NOTE: THIS DRAWING SHOWS ONLY CONFIGURATION AND DIMENSION)
18 TRAY
CARRIER
US. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
NEG 6331-58 (7)AGRlCULTuRAL MARKETING SERVICE
Figure 23. --Triple tier 18-tray carrier and mobile storage
rack for produce.
- 52 -
COLLAR STOP
COLLAR
STORAGE
RACK
NOTE:
FRONT RAISED l"
TO PITCH TO REAR
Figure 24. --Workplace for preparation of trays of nontrim bulk produce
for tray display.
53 -
TOP VIEW
FILM HOLDER
24ST ALUMINUM OR EQUIVALENT
5 REG. FOR PRODUCE TABLE
VARY TO FIT FILM SIZE
BEND UP
LAST INCH
OF TRAY 20
-20 V-
^6%"*H 6 V*^6 V *K6 '/B"-4 «V f4 V+ 47/8"+ 4VH
^%
37„
Figure 25. --Workplace for preparation of prepack produce or bulk produce for
tray display.
54
PORTABLE DISPLAY BIN
Model B
5 DIA. WHEELS
SWIVEL REAR
FIXED FRONT
( NOTE THIS DRAWING SHOWS ONLY CONF I G UR AT I ON AND DIMENSION )
Figure 26. --Mobile display bins for display of bagged produce items
- 55
b
£"
6 U. S. GOVBTINMEMT PRI NT««5 OFPteT : 1966 O - 214-544
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